Winterize
Your Motorcycle

If you plan to store your motorcycle
during the winter months, it is essential that you take a few extra
precautions to ensure that your motorcycle is running the way you
remember the following spring. These simple steps will keep your
motorcycle running in tip-top shape and protect your investment for
years to come.

Gasoline

Fill your tank with gas. During the
winter months it is crucial that you keep your motorcycle's gas tank
full when parking your motorcycle for any extended length of time.
Gasoline expands when it's warm and contracts when it's cold. When it is
summer and it's hot outside, the gas expands and excess vapors escape
your tank through the vent tube. When it is winter and it's cold
outside, the gas inside the tank will contract and create a vacuum
inside your tank. In order to fill this vacuum, air will rush in from
the outside via the vent tube. If this air is moist, water vapor will
condense on the inside of your tank. This will not only rust your tank
from the inside out, but will also contaminate your fuel and make your
motorcycle run roughly in the springtime.

Use a fuel stabilizer. Gasoline
breaks down over time, and leaving fuel in your motorcycle can lead to
gummed-up or varnished fuel lines, carburetors, injectors, etc.
Harley-Davidson® offers an excellent Fuel Additive, part
number 99893-91A, to help prevent this. Make sure you read
the directions carefully … that little 4 ounce bottle will treat 40
gallons of fuel.

Oil

Change your engine oil, transmission
fluid, and chain case fluid. As you ride throughout the year, acids,
dirt, and water can accumulate inside the engine, transmission case, and
chain case of your motorcycle. This is because these fluids not only
lubricate your engine and other moving parts, they also serve as a
"waste collector" of all the things that are created by
combustion or are broken apart with high heat and friction. During
storage, any un-burnt fuel, unspent exhaust gases, or water vapor is
trapped inside your engine. Over a period of months, these chemicals
eventually break down the viscosity of your engine oil, transmission
fluid, and chain case fluid and can even begin to corrode metal
surfaces.

Throttle and Clutch
Cables

Lube your throttle and clutch
cables. After a long riding season, the lubrication that allows your
cable to move easily within the cable housing can break down, causing
your cables to bind and possibly break. Ask your parts or service
associate for a graphite-based cable lube such as Dri-Slide (part number
53-7001).

Battery

Remove your battery or attach a
battery tending unit to it. When it is not being used on a regular
basis, a battery will gradually lose its charge. Security systems and
stereos are also certain to drain your battery. The easiest way to
prevent this is to leave your battery in your motorcycle, attach a
battery tender to your battery, and plug the battery tender into a
standard power outlet.

The battery tender is a
"smart" charger — it turns itself on and off as needed so
that your battery never overcharges. It comes in two sizes: the Standard
Battery Tender (part number 99863-01) and the Battery
Tender Jr. (part number 94654-98). If you own more than one
motorcycle, there's no need to purchase multiple battery tenders …
simply pick up an additional Battery Tender Harness (part number 94624-97A)
and plug each battery in as needed.

Tires

Inflate your tires to their proper
level. Under inflated tires can hasten the appearance of flat spots in
your tires, shortening their usable life. You should also readjust your
bike several times a month, parking it in a different spot on its tires
each time. This will also help ward off flat spots. If storing your
motorcycle with all weight off its tires is possible this is the best
solution of all.

Keep your tires out of direct
sunlight. Rubber is sensitive to ultraviolet light, and prolonged
exposure to UV
light will cause your tires to crack, split, and become less pliable.
This condition is known as "dry rot", and it can cause
premature tire failure.

Painted Surfaces
and Chrome

Clean your motorcycle thoroughly.
Start when the engine is cool, and carefully remove all road grime,
grease, tar, stains, and bugs from all painted surfaces, chromed parts,
fork seals, and wheels. Make sure you use good quality cleaners, like
Harley-Davidson® Sunwash (part number 94659-98),
Bug Remover (part number 94657-98), and Wheel & Tire
Cleaner (part number 94658-98). Dry your motorcycle
thoroughly, and then apply either Harley Glaze (part number 99701-84)
or Harley Gloss (part number 94627-98) to all painted and
exposed metal surfaces. This will protect your finish from color fade
caused by UV
light.

Storage

Store your motorcycle inside. After
going to all this work to prepare your motorcycle for the winter months,
store it inside if at all possible. Snow, ice, freezing rain,
and wild temperature variances are all common winter occurrences in
Colorado, and these weather conditions will wreak havoc on your
motorcycle. If you can't store your motorcycle inside, make sure you get
a form-fitting, breathable, long-term cover for it like a Storm Shield
(part number 98742-96 for Touring models and 98738-96
for V-Rods, Dyna Wide Glide®, and Softail®
models).

Cover your motorcycle. If you can't
store your motorcycle inside, you'll need to cover your motorcycle with
a nice waterproof cover to keep your bike safe from the elements.
However, even if you can store your motorcycle inside during
the winter months, it is still important to cover your
motorcycle. The cover will not only keep dust off of your precious
scooter, it will also keep children from playing on it. Ask anyone who
has ever had to replace a custom-painted fuel tank because a child
dented it while playing "biker" … the price of a motorcycle
cover is money well spent. If you are storing your motorcycle inside,
make sure the cover is designed for indoor storage and that it is made
from a breathable material, or ask your parts or service associate for
the proper cover to fit your motorcycle.

Store your motorcycle in a
low-traffic area. This one should be obvious, but for some
reason it's not. Don't store your motorcycle in a location where anyone
is likely to trip on it, tip it over, drop a tool on it, or dent it with
a car door.